Why do we like animals more than humans?

On some level, I get this but I cant explain it. At least not satisfactorily.

Case in point, my brother is an avowed bachelor and has said for years that he could never live with anyone. He now has a dog - I get an email update on the dog every 45 minutes. All the compromising that he says he could never do with another human is no problem with the dog. He just spent $12,000 on new flooring last year  flooring that the dog is wiping her nose all over now (the dog has allergies). My brother would freak if a human did anything remotely like that.

And he is obviously not the only one. I live with a cat and no other humans, as do many of my friends.

One of my neighbors lectured me the other day saying if people spent all this time and money on other humans rather than animals, the world would be a happier place. Which I think is likely true. But humans are too much trouble  why do we think that?

One of my neighbors lectured me the other day saying if people spent all this time and money on other humans rather than animals, the world would be a happier place. Which I think is likely true. But humans are too much trouble &#8211; why do we think that?

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You can like both or hate both. There are serial killers who kill both humans and animals, just as there are some busy people who volunteer to help both humans and animals.

Heh!! I think this gave me the missing piece. I always got that other humans judge us while animals don&#8217;t. But I think the critical piece is that we judge humans and we don&#8217;t judge animals. Which is why my brother doesn&#8217;t mind the dog snot while people snot will freak him out. It&#8217;s not only that animals aren&#8217;t judgmental toward humans, but that *we* are. So, yes, it is about our *own* expectational differences between animals and humans.

I don't think I like animals more than I do people; I think it is animals who like me more than other people do. LOL After a lifetime of disappointment I finally found the one creature on earth who returns the love I give her; my cat.

Interestingly, I was just reading how disaster epidemiologists and related organizations recommend that emergency shelters allow pets. During Hurricane Katrina, many people refused to leave their pets behind during evacuation and ultimately died as a result.

If people do not like animals more than humans, many at least hold them on par.

I have loved all my pets like the best people in my family. It's not to say I love them more, but I love them just as much. As already stated, they don't judge you. Just the simplest of care ~ food, water, love ~ and they are your friend for life. I grew up without pets and once I moved out we got a dog, then some cats and more dogs (not all at the same time). I think it's wonderful raising my children with pets around. So much love to share. As long as I'm able, I will always have pets. I'm more attached to dogs now but I envision cats in my later years.

But I think the critical piece is that we judge humans and we dont judge animals. Which is why my brother doesnt mind the dog snot while people snot will freak him out.

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No, because still it is only HIS dog. If my dog went and snotted all over his carpet, I bet he'd be pretty upset. The same way as if my (hypothetical) daughter peed on my carpet, I'd sigh and clean it up. If YOU came and peed on my carpet, I'd be effing pissed. It's all about family.

I don't like animals more than humans. I like my family more than people who annoy me. My family, due to relation, gets a pass most of the time they annoy me. So it ranks people I like, animals I like, animals I don't like (because well, they are still usually less awful than people), people I don't like.

Because ........ animals are at our mercy. They need us to walk them, feed them, stroke them in short take care of them. We feel omnipotent and needed among animals, particularly domesticated animals. They don't whinge and offend. If they do, humans can just shoot them dead.

I, for one, don't like animals more than humans... I hate some humans more than even the worst animals (eg. bugs), but I love some humans more than any animals. In general, I'm pretty meh about pets (I have no desire to go near one ), although wild/exotic animals are fascinating when seen on TV

So, in short, what skittl said, except I don't really have "animals I like"

Skittl - in the main that is true but I am talking about something different. My brother didn't know the dog but he knew a dog would be hard on his floors. He got a dog anyway. If he had to choose to live with a random human he never met and a random dog he never met, he would choose the dog. Even if the dog had snot issues and the human didn't. Plus there is no way I (family) could snot on his floor and have him be okay with it.

Well, people eat animals. (Most) people do not eat people. So, there's that.

But I'll say that for myself, I like humans more than animals. I don't know if that's an unpopular opinion or not but sometimes it feels like one. Yes, there are A LOT of awful humans (I am having a particularly awful week at work), but at least I have never stepped on a human's feces while on a run.

Because an animal never humiliated me, bullied me, ostracized me from having any kind of enjoyment or life experience that most people get to have, or sabotaged me at work. Humans did, and still do to this day. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I would not give a single dime to anything that would help another human, but would enjoy spending my millions on animal rescues and shelters and anything to help animals and only animals. After the way people have treated me my whole life, I don't give a crap about any of them anymore.

Well, people eat animals. (Most) people do not eat people. So, there's that.

But I'll say that for myself, I like humans more than animals. I don't know if that's an unpopular opinion or not but sometimes it feels like one. Yes, there are A LOT of awful humans (I am having a particularly awful week at work), but at least I have never stepped on a human's feces while on a run.

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I like people more than animals too. I would rather have a houseful of people than a houseful of animals but yeah, it seems like that is a minority opinion. Which is kinda why I asked the question.

To quote Josh Billings: &#8220;A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.&#8221;
I absolutely agree and I will always love my dead dog and all the others to come more than humans.

I've always had at least one dog. They are loyal, loving, non judgmental & best of all always agree with your opinions (they'll wag their tails to let you know they understand!) & they never make snarky remarks. They depend on you just as young children do...you are needed & appreciated.

I think it's because relationships with pets tend to be pretty one-sided, and that appeals to some. You don't have to adjust your behavior or make major lifestyle changes, nor do you have to consider the needs of the pet much--just carry on with your life as usual and the pet has to accept and go along with that. Relationships with humans require more give and take, and many people prefer to live life on their own terms instead. Pets are good for that.